In Transit
by glitterglow
Summary: When tragedy hits Draco, it hits him hard. What will happen when he realises he can't move on? Who will help him? And how will he help them? Starts in 6th book Easter hols, DH eventually.


**A/N: **Ok, this story starts in Draco's sixth year, Easter holidays and sort of continues from there. This is my first D/H and I will just say now that Hermione won't actually be directly involved for a few chapters, she comes in once things start rolling. Draco and Laurie need some time together first. Anything else? No? Then dim the lights and eat your popcorn.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Apart from Laurie. And Spunky. But the rest are not my own. Aahh, what would it be like to own Harry Potter…daydreams while you read...

**In Transit**

**Chapter One – Breaking bones**

From his home high above the fireplace, a boy with white blond hair and grey-silver eyes smirked down into a tall, expensively decorated drawing room, his hand eternally at his mother's side. The flickering firelight gave their skins a healthy orange glow, enhancing their handsome features.

The woman turned repeatedly in her mahogany wood and emerald upholstered armchair to look up at her son, giving the room a side profile of her haughty porcelain face. The boy in turn smirked up at a tall, well built man, each of his hands resting on either shoulder of the two. The scene they looked onto was a harsh contrast to theirs.

The same armchair bore the same woman, and the same son held the same shoulder but no hand held his. Unlike their portraits, the firelight picked out the shadows under their eyes, their skins looked pale and worn. The smirks on their faces had been replaced with anguished tears, and the once healthy white blond hair fell limply, matted to their heads. The woman held a picture of a girl in her hand, tears blurring her outline. The boy looked from above her, his facehard but his eyes full of emotion.

Shakily, the woman turned her face up towards him and gulped before letting out a fresh wave of tears. He walked round the chair until he was facing her and tentatively putan arm around her shoulders. She latched onto it, her words only just distinguishable through her great, gasping sobs. "D-Draco…w-why did she have to….to d-die? M-my girl…my only girl. F-found in an alleyway…only nineteen…I-I was just getting to-to know her when…"

At this point the woman gave in and cried angrily into her son's chest while he held her tightly, his face still hard.After a few minutesthe woman pulled away and looked up once more, hope shining in her eyes. "Draco," she started, wiping the tears from her hollow cheeks, "did-did you speak before…it happened. About where she was going or why she was in Knockturn Alley? I know she wouldn't tell me but…but she always talked to you." The last words were spoken bitterly, and Draco didn't miss this. He knew she hated the fact that Laurie had trusted him more than her, it wasn't fair. But then again, in some ways; she did deserve it. He pulled his arm away from her and ran it through his lank hair, sighing.

"I don't know where she was going mother, I hadn't gone to see her for a month so-"

His mother sat upright, her face rapidly changing from distressed to angry, "A month? You didn't visit your sister for a month? She was staying in Hogsmede, you could have snuck out of school-"

"I couldn't, security's too tight. I had no time either, its Easter and we're no closer than we were inJuly to-"

"So you put some stupid task before your sister did you?" shrieked his Mother, pushing herself from her chair so she was eye level with Draco. "Did she mean that little to you?"

Draco ran his hand through his hair and sighed, trying to keep his voice calm. "She meant lots Mother but I couldn't see her, I was busy and-"

"Well why didn't you tell her?" his mother cut across him, seething, "Well? Why didn't you let her help you with the task? She would have done well, I know she would. Why didn't you give her a chance? Afraid you'd be forgotten, that she'd get the glory? She just wants to help, she doesn't want-"

"Didn't Mother" Draco spat, his anger surfacing for the first time since it happened. Right then he hated his mother, hated her for trying to make him feel guilty about this. How was it his fault that she never spoke to her daughter? That her own daughter loathed her? His voice rose with his anger and he continued to shout, "She's dead now, remember? Killed by a…what was it again?" Draco leaned in close and sneered, spitting the next words with as much malice as he could muster, "Oh yeah, a Death Eater"

His mother winced as if he'd slapped her. He saw this, part of him faltered but he couldn't stop, he knew he was hurting her and it felt good; after days of being numb he was feeling again. He leaned in closer and started yelling, "The people you trust, the people Father is closest to, they killed Laurie. Your friends killed your own daughter. How does that feel? Or do you even feel anything at all?"

Narcissa wavered, then collapsed into the chair, shrieking and screaming her daughter's name. "Laurie Laurie Laurie Laurie Laurie, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm...COME BACK!….I'm sorry I'm sorry"

Draco watched his mother with disgust as she fell apart. 'Stupid bitch,' he thought, 'her own fault'

Suddenly he turned on his heel and marched into the entrance hall, slamming the door behind him.

He started quickly up the dark wooden staircase, his blood pumping and his heart beating wildly after being touched; being allowed to feel.

As he reached his room, his feet slowed as did his breathing and his mind became clear enough to think. He pushed open his door as his hand unconsciously dragged itself through his hair. Why did he lose control like that? He was a Malfoy and, as he was constantly reminded, Malfoys never lost control. Never.

Sighing,he started over to his bed when something on his desk caught his attention. He walked over to it slowly and picked it up. A photograph. He smirked as he watched the two people moving around in their tiny frame. One was a younger version of himself, scowling vehemently at whoever was taking the picture. The other was a girl a few years older than him. One hand was around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight one-armed hug, the other was waving frantically at the camera, a cheesy grin plastered on her face.

Draco sighed and stroked her cheek gently with his finger. He remembered the day that photo was taken. The first day he met her, his sister. Laurie.

"Draco darling will you stop? I'm getting a migraine"

Draco scowled and slammed his quidditch whistle down on the coffee table beside him. His mother winced at the sound and put a hand to her head, barking, "Draco stop that now. You know sometimes I wish you weren't here, then I wouldn't get such bad migraines"

She closed her eyes as if experiencing a moment of intense pain, and opened them just in time to see Draco roll his and snap his hands like mouths, imitating her.

Turning to face him fully, she snapped, "you can be such a brat sometimes, you know that? The way you act people will think you're three not thirteen"

She tuned her back on him and slowly traced a snowflake on the window, melting and sliding down the pane. "But what do I care what people think?" she asked softly, "They're only thinking about you anyway, and what good is that to me? What good are _you_ to me? You're never here, just like your father. You both hate me. Or at least you don't love me. But then again, its no loss.I don't love you"

A loud sniff issued from Draco's seat and she twisted round to look at him with contempt. "Crying again are you?" she scoffed, "that's all you can do isn't it? Cry. Or is it? Can you fetch, like a dog? Go on Draco," she jeered, "fetch my wand and you get a treat. Go on, fetch"

Draco sniffed again and looked at her, puzzled. She waited a few seconds before sighing, "how on earth did I raise such a dunce? My wand, Draco. Do I have to spell it out?"

She pushed her face close to his and spoke loudly and clearly, "I-have-a-migraine-and-I-need-my-wand-to-cure-it". Draco merely blinked in confusion. "Do – do you want me to call Spunky?"

"Oh for goodness sakes Draco get it yourself! Does the elf have to do everything for you? Are you too thick to find a wand? Sometimes you make me sick, you know that?"

Draco sniffed and Narcissa turned away in disgust. "Just get out of my sight Draco. Go on. Go.". Draco did not move. "NOW"

He scrambled out of his chair and stumbled into the hall, though not quick enough to miss his mother mutter, "honestly, I can't wait until that bloody school starts again, two weeks is two weeks too long"

Cursing his mother, Draco made his way across the entrance hall, his feet slapping the cold marble floor as he walked. He scowled as he wiped away a hot tear. Why did was he stuck with a mother like her? Crabbe's mother made him cookies and Goyle's mother was hot. Why was his such a bitch? He pushed his hand through his hair, causing strands to fall out of place and hang naturally. His scowl intensified as he passed a portrait of his father smirking superciliously in his frame.

'Stupid father,' he thought, 'always going away and leaving me with _her_'. Although he could see why, he hated having to come home every holiday and if he had to live with her all the time he'd want to get away as much as possible. But if his father felt like that then why didn't he just leave? He could take Draco with him, live somewhere just the two of them; without _her_.

As he thought this, something small and bony collided with his left shin andfell backwards, clutching it's nose.

"Ow, ow, ow, OW! Oh Spunky is broken, Spunky is broken!"

Draco looked down at the house elf, all his anger vanishing and being replaced withvindictive glee. He loved torturing Spunky.

Hespoke in the most authoritative and intimidating tones he could muster. "Get up elf. How dare you let your filthy body touch mine!"

The house elf scrambled into a low bow, its body quaking and its voice trembling with fear. "Spunky is s-sorry master Malfoy" it squeaked.

"Not enough in my opinion," Draco spat, "If you were sorry then you'd crawl into a hole and die"

Spunky bowed again and squeaked, "If – if master Malfoy wants it done then Spunky shall crawl-"

"Oh shut up Spunky I didn't mean it," said Draco, massaging his forehead ostentatiously, "We can't afford to lose another house elf and besides – my mother needs her wand"

Spunky blinked but did not move. Draco smacked his forehead before saying, "look, do I need to spell it out for you?" He pushed his face close to the elf's and said loudly and clearly, "I-want-you-to-go-and-get-my-mother's-wand. Understand?"

Spunky trembled so much that his loincloth started to slide. He hoisted it back up quickly saying, "But m-master, Spunky has just answered door to guest, Spunky has to get mistress before-"

"I told you to get her wand, damn lazy elf! Do as I say and do it NOW!"

Just to add effect he kicked Spunky, hard. The little elf landed on its arm with a sickening crack. It screamed out in pain and thrashed around wildly, squeezing the broken arm with the other so tightly that its knuckles turned white. Draco stood, shocked. Who knew such a small thing could make so much noise?

Over the din, Draco heard footsteps pounding down the corridor and enter the entrance hall. Their owner looked around for a few seconds before sprinting towards the elf. She pulled back the sleeves of her tatty robes and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, biting her lip as she tried to examine the thrashing elf. Finding it too hard, she attempted to prise the elf's fingers from its arm whilst cooing in a soft Australian twang, "hey, hey, calm down kid it's alright, you'll be right as rain in a few minutes, promise. Come on now, calm down"

Looking up at Draco she snapped, "what, you gonna just stand there? Go an' get help! Are you employed to just stare or what?"

Draco blinked. "Excuse me? Did you just – did you just imply that I'm employed?"

"Well yeah, you're a servant here right?"

"I live here" replied Draco coldly. He looked her up and down, taking in the frayed edges of her sleeves, the dirt on her hemline and her incredibly short hair that looked as though it was being held in bunches by magic. It was dirty blonde, he noted, not platinum like his. He decided he preferred his own.

The girl took a wand from inside her robes and froze the elf. Panting, she sat down heavily and looked Draco up and down. After a few seconds she said sceptically, "You live here?"

"Yes," replied Draco, colder still. "I live here". Then, as an afterthought added, "who the hell are you?"

The girl's face crinkled in a smile and she turned back to the elf saying, "My name's Laurie an' I'm here to see a Mrs. N. Malfoy". She waved her wand and the break in the elf's arm mended instantly. She jumped up and brushed off her robes, saying absently, "I s'pose I should have said before I came barging on in here, but I heard screams and stuff, so I came running. Kinda rude"

She stepped forwards and shook Draco's hand energetically. "There," she said, "now we're formally introduced". She looked at him pointedly. "Or we would be if I knew your name"

Draco let go and involuntarily wiped his hand on his robes. "Draco Malfoy," he said curtly, "that's my name". There was a short pause where Laurie merely looked at him, totally confused. The staring was starting to make him feel uncomfortable so he continued. "Err…did you want to see my mother? She's in the drawing room so-"

"No freaking way," interrupted Laurie excitedly, "she's not your mum. No way. I mean – are you serious?" Draco nodded slowly, "Are you sure? No kiddin'? 'Cause if she is, that would make you like, my half–brother!"

Draco froze. 'No,' he thought, 'oh no. This can't happen. Not to me, there's no way. No freaking way'

The tears spilled over and rolled down his cheeks, splattering the frame in his shaking hand. He forgot what happened next. Now there was no-one to ask. 'I'll never know,' he thought, 'I'll never know because she's dead'

The words meant nothing to him, he wouldn't believe them. But he had to; he knew he had to because they were true. And the sooner he understood the better.

He took a deep breath and spoke. "She – she's….dead"

His words came out as whispers and his voice cracked pathetically. He shook himself mentally and tried again. "She's dead" he said, a little louder this time. It still didn't work.

He brought the photo to eye level and stared at her, waving and grinning madly at the world. She looked so happy. Why was she so happy when she was dead?

He felt his blood start to boil. "Stop it," he told the picture angrily, "Stop it. You can't be happy, you're dead. You're dead. You...are…dead"

The words tasted sour on his tongue, they were heavy but he rolled them around and spat them out like bullets.

"You're dead you're dead you're dead," he chanted, "you're dead you're dead you're dead you're dead YOU'RE DEAD!"

He threw the photo as hard as he could at the opposite wall; it smashed and the people stopped moving as the glass ripped them to shreds. Draco stood, fuming, angry with her, angry with her for dying. Suddenly he strode over to the pile of glass and began kicking the photograph, ramming it up and down the wall, shredding it even more; erasing her from his life.

A voice came from the doorway, making Draco jump.

"Hey kid chill out. Seriously, you'll live longer"

He knew that voice. It was impossible, stupid even but he knew it. He slowly turned his head, afraid of what he might see. It couldn't be. There was just no way. It couldn't be-

"Laurie?"

**A/N: **Ooohh, cliffy! On chapter one too!

Well, thanks for sticking round until the end, please take a few more moments to review and make me feel loved. Constructive criticisms welcome (how else would we learn?) but remember that flames burn and fire kills so please don't.

I'm working on the second chapter now which will hopefully be longer than this one and a bit lighter too. Until next time amigos, bye.


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